Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Descent & training tips

There are two "saws", or "rules of thumb" that I use to gauge my fitness level:
1. You can do on one day, what you typically do during a week of training. So, if your total milage during a typical training week is 22+ miles you pass that test.
1. You can do in one day double what your big day is during a typical training week. So, if you hike 12+ miles on one day during a typical training week you should be able to do 22/23 miles in a single day. Please note, this is for a "typical" week, not a "one time" week. If you've been doing this for over three weeks you pass this test.
Two caveats:
1. This does not take into consideration altitude. To handle that, I do allow three nights at 9K', and then normally do not have any issues with altitude (other than the heavy breathing, and slower pace).
2. Your training hikes should include hills similar in slope of the Whitney main trail

Do not worry too much about the decent. Gravity is your friend. You will not be breathing hard, although your knees and feet will likely be complaining.